The Takeaway: White Racism and overlooking institutional racism

October 27, 2017

This morning I had a chance to appear on WNYC’s The Takeaway. It was good to be on the program again, this time with guest how Tanzina Vega of CNN. In the interview we discuss recent findings on discrimination from a survey conducted by Robert Wood Johnson, the Chan School of Public Health and NPR. We dive into the now very popular finding that 55% of White Americans say they have experienced discrimination (up from most previous measures) and what it means for race in America today. Additionally, we speak about how a minority of Black and White folks (25 and 26 percent respectively) saw discrimination operating at institutional levels (i.e., discrimination based on government laws or policies) as a bigger problem than individual/interpersonal discrimination. I am concerned about White perceptions of discrimination driving our policy and discourse, but I’m even more fearful that people are underestimating the power of institutional racism in the present. Contrary to popular belief, the barriers of institutional inequality have not been removed and things could possibly getting worse. To hear the interview with me, click here. For the full report, click here.